Academic interests

Ageliki Lefkaditou is a historian of science focusing on the history of physical anthropology and human genetic variation research from the late 19th century to present.

Her wider research interests include the history and philosophy of biology and ecology, science education, and public understanding of science.

Currently, she is working on a project funded by the Norwegian Research Council on how physical anthropology and human genetic variation research have influenced the construction of racial and national identity in Greece from the 1950s and on.

Courses taught

Lefkaditou’s current position does not include teaching obligations. During the last five years, however, she has taught and tutored on a number of undergraduate modules ranging from introduction to philosophy and philosophy of science to the history of scientific ideas and population ecology.

Background

Ageliki Lefkaditou is postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Health and Society. She received her first PhD in history and philosophy of ecology from the Department of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2009), and she will soon be completing her second PhD in the history of science at the University of Leeds. From 2010-2012 she worked as a sustainability consultant to the Vice-rector of Economic Affairs and Development at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. From 2012-2014 she was a graduate teaching assistant at the School of Philosophy, Religion and the History of Science, University of Leeds.

Awards

Dec. 2011-Jan. 2012 Visiting Scholar, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Research Group ‘Historicizing knowledge about human biological diversity in the 20th century’

2007-2008 Pre-doctoral Scholarship, Spyros F. Antypas Foundation

2005-2006 Pre-doctoral Scholarship, Spyros F. Antypas Foundation

Positions held

Associate Book Review Editor for the research journal Science & Education

British Society for the History of Science Ambassador

Partners

Lefkaditou’s research is part of the research project ‘From racial typology to DNA sequencing’, funded by the Norwegian Research Council’s SAMKUL-program (Cultural conditions underlying social change).

Publications

2014

‘Contextualizing the Teaching and Learning of Ecology: Historical and Philosophical Considerations’, in Handbook of Historical and Philosophical Research in Science Education, ed. by Michael R. Matthews (Heidelberg: Springer, with K. Korfiatis & T. Hovardas).

2012

‘Is Ecology a Holistic Science, after all?’ In Populations, Biocommunities, Ecosystems: A review of controversies in Ecological Thinking, ed. by George P. Stamou (The Netherlands: Bentham Science Publishers), 46-66.

2011

‘Views of Nature and the Human-Nature Relations: An Analysis of the Visual Syntax of Pictures about the Environment in Greek Primary School Textbooks Diachronic Considerations’, Research in Science Education, 43: 1, 117-140 (with R. Lemoni, A. G. Stamou, D. Schizas, & G.P. Stamou).